Namboothiri Brahmins Of Kerala

Nambhoothiris are a set of Brahmins who are settled and found in Kerala.

 

Adi  Shankaracharya is from this sect.

 

Namboothiris are reported to have settled in the western Coast of South India , Kerala.

 

Parashurama created land from the Arabian sea and established the Namboothiri sect.

 

The group is a closed group and they do not allow others to get married into their community, even of they are Brahmins.

 

However this custom is changing now.

 

 There is said to be no provision nor ritual procedure in the Saasthrams for such an absorption.

Only quite recently has there been some instances through adoptions followed by performance of Shodasakriyas.

 

Sangam literature refers to Nambhoothiris which would date them to somewhere about 2000 years back.

 

“Parasuraman created the land between Gokarnam and Kanyakumari and settled Brahmanans there in sixty-four Gramams or “villages”. As a result, the Brahmanans of Kerala share several common features with the Brahmanans of the Canarese coast; this also distinguishes them from their counterparts in the rest of South India. In the historical inquiry, this is extremely important. What is necessary is not to look for the place of their origin or the identity and date of Parasuraman but to ascertain the social function of such a tradition and examine the extent of linkages between the two regions and their cultures. It is stated that thirty two out of the sixty four gramams are in the Tulu-speaking region and the remaining thirty two, in the Malayalam- speaking region in Kerala. Recent historical research has identified these settlements on either side of the border. Those in Kerala proper are listed in the Keralolpathi, the narrative of Kerala history. They are:

a) Between rivers Perumpuzha and Karumanpuzha:
1.Payyannur, 2.Perumchellur, 3.Alattiyur, 4.Karantola, 5.Cokiram, 6.Panniyur, 7.Karikkatu, 8.Isanamangalam, 9.Trissivaperur, 10.Peruvanam.

b) Between rivers Karumanpuzha and Churni:
11.Chemmanda, 12.Iringalakkuda, 13.Avattiputtur, 14.Paravur, 15.Airanikkalam, 16.Muzhikkalam, 17.Kuzhavur, 18.Atavur, 19.Chenganatu, 20.Ilibhayam, 21.Uliyannur, 22.Kazhuthanatu.

c) Between river Churni and Kanyakumari:
23.Ettumanur, 24.Kumaraanallur, 25.Vennanad or Kadamuri, 26.Aranmula, 27.Tiruvalla, 28.Kitangur, 29.Chengannur, 30.Kaviyur, 31.Venmani, and 32.Nirmanna.”

 

The villages were organised around temples, which owned landed properties in large measure. Committees known as ur (oor), urar, or uralar managed these temples and their properties. These committees consisted of the prominent Brahmanan landowners of the locality and were, basically, concerned with their own interests in the landed property. The strong sense of community exhibited by such committees is remarkable. The committees are shown to have had a corporate character, taking decisions unanimously and carrying them out ruthlessly. Idiosyncrasies of individual members were never tolerated; nor was anything detrimental to the corporate interest of the bodies. Elaborate procedures, often following the prescriptions in the Dharmasastra texts, could be seen in the records, such as what is called the Muzhakkala kacham, which earlier historians like Elamkulam P.N. Kunjan Pillai took as designed to protect the interests of the tenants. This solidarity rendered them a very powerful group in society and this, coupled with the ideological tools such as Varnaashrama Dharmam and the Agamaic religion of the temple, enabled them to dictate the pattern of society. It is this that enabled them to be the kingmakers in every possible way.

 

Famous Namboothiris.

Premji- National award winning Malayalam film actor.

 

• Cherusseri Namboothiri-15th-century composer of Krishna Katha
• Lalitambika Antarjanam-Malayalam author who wrote Agnisakshi (1980) which won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
• Madampu Kunjukuttan- Malayalam novelist and short story writer
• Moothiringode Bhavathrāthan Namboothiripad – Author of the famous Aphante Makal. He was social reformer especially of the Namboothiri society
• Mullamangalath Raman Bhattathiripad- Writer, social reformer
• O M C Narayanan Nambudiripad- Sanskrit scholar who translated the Rig Veda into Malayalam in the work Rigveda Bhasha Bhashyam . Also the uncle of Moothiringode Bhavathrāthan Namboothiripad
• Poonthanam- 16th-century poet and author of Jnanappana, a devotional poem in Malayalam
• Poonthottam Achhan Nambudiri-19th-century poet of the Venmani School
• Poonthottam Mahan Nambudiri- Poet of the Venmani School. Son of Poonthottam Achhan Nambudiri
• Leela Nambudripad- Well-known author of Children’s books under the pen name Sumangala. Daughter of O M C Narayanan Nambudiripad
• Seevolli Narayanan Nambudiri-20th-century poet influence by Venmani
• Tholan- (9th century AD) Believed to be the earliest Namboothiri poet. Made contributions to Koodiyattam, Koothu
• Venmani Achhan Nambudiripad- Poet of the Venmani Illam, father of Venmani Mahan
• Venmani Mahan Nambudiripad- 19th-century poet of the Venmani School
• Venmani Vishnu Nambudiripad- Poet of the Venmani Illam, paternal uncle (Apphan) of Venmani Achhan Nambudiripad
• Vishnunarayanan Namboothiri- Famous 20th-century poet and literary figure in Kerala

 

• Pulleri Illathu Madhusoodanan Thangal-He was a member of the Madras Legislative Council from the year 1929 to 1934, was a member of Military Advisory Board also
• E. M. S. Namboodiripad- Marxist leader and first Chief Minister of Kerala
• Jayanthan Sankaran Nampoothiri- 18th century Diwan of the Travancore Kingdom
• Moothiringode Bhavathrāthan Namboothiripad – Author of the famous Aphante Makal. He was social reformer especially of the Namboothiri society
• V. T. Bhattathiripad-Freedom fighter, social critic and dramatist^[1]

 

• Mezhathol Agnihothri- 4th century Shrauta ritualist who reinstated the ancient tradition of Yaagam
• Poonthanam- Devotee of Lord Guruvayoorappan who composed the Jnanappana in the 16th century
• Shivapuri Baba- (Born as Jayanthan Nambudiripad) Ascetic and Saint who travelled around India, Europe, America and preached religious unity
• Vilwamangalam Swamiyar- 17th-century saint and ardent devotee of Guruvayoorappan who composed the Sreekrishna Karnaamritham

Another element which helped them gain in power was the curious practice of arms which a section of Brahmanans in Kerala had. Known variously as the Chatter or Chattirar, these arms-bearing Brahmanans are seen in records from different parts of India from the post-Gupta period onwards. It is from Kerala that we have the clearest information about them. We hear about the significant institutions called Salais, which imparted military training to these Brahmanan youth in different parts of Kerala – some of them had been looked upon by the neighbouring rulers as a veritable military threat to them. They had no pretension of Vedic scholarship, but on account of their muscle power, they became a considerable force in society and politics. In the subsequent period, however, their profession of arms lost all relevance and they were reduced to the status of professionals performing the typically Namboothiri entertainment, part ritual and part art, known as Sanghakkali or Panayam Kali. In any case, Namboothiris had become a significant economic, social and political force by the time the Chera Perumals were ruling over Kerala. This justifies the statement of a modern historian that the polity under the Cheras of Mahodayapuram was in reality a Brahmanan oligarchy and that the Brahmanans constituted the real power behind the throne. And, there was indeed a council of Brahmanans in the Chera capital known as the Nalu Tali, the memory of which survives in four temples of Melttali, Keezhtali, Netiya Tali and Chingapuram Tali.

When the Chera kingdom disintegrated in the twelfth century, the influence of the Brahmanans did not, nevertheless, decline. In fact, we see them deciding the course of history with renewed vigour. The practice that the eldest son succeeded to the estates of the family continued and was strengthened by accepting the custom, that only he was eligible to marry within the caste and father children to inherit the properties of the family, which nearly got the force of law. This resulted in the consolidation of the properties, but also led to the extinction of several families. The properties of such families went to their near relatives and this led to the rise of huge landed magnates among Namboothiris in these medieval centuries. Correspondingly, the insistence of unanimity in the meetings of the temple committees is no longer seen. Also, one comes across attendance by proxy being allowed in such meetings. All this led to the consolidation of feudal tendencies and the consequent growth of landlordism. It was not, contrary to what some historians have held, a case of the cruelty and caprice of Brahmanans who deprived the non-Brahmanan landowners of their landed properties. Differentiation on the basis of wealth also led to differences in ritual status. We start getting Namboothiris of infinitely varying ritual status from this period onwards. Increased wealth and political power led to greater leisure, which made possible the creditable intellectual and cultural contributions by members of this community. It also resulted in greater licentiousness. The literature of this period, in both Sanskrit and Manipravalam, which was a mixture of Sanskrit and Malayalam, gives us a picture of such easy-going life, as do other forms art in this period, including the Devadaasi dance and the theatrical performances such as Koodiyattam and Koothu. It is for this reason that this period earned the rather appropriate sobriquet of being the “orgiastic period” of the Namboothiris.

 

Citation and for more details.

 

 

http://www.namboothiri.com/articles/exclusive-community.htm

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